Head Start Almost Ready for President’s Signature

Congress finally moved forward on H.R. 1429, the Head Start reauthorization bill. Both chambers passed their own versions in May and June of this year, but had not gone to conference until this Thursday, leaving the bill legislative limbo. The bill passed out of conference and only requires approval on the House and Senate floors before it finally heads to the President. While the bill does not face a specific veto threat, it does contain certain provisions that may not sit well with the White House. The last Head Start Reauthorization, enacted in 1998, expired in 2003.
Similar to the House and Senate bills, the agreement would raise the income level at which families become eligible for Head Start, from 100% percent of the federal poverty level, $20,560 annually for a family of four, to 130%, $26,728 for a family of four. The conference report requires that half the teachers in the program nationwide have a bachelor’s degree by 2013, and targets new funding toward improving teacher salaries. The bill also expands authorization for Early Head Start, a program that serves low-income youth from birth to age three, and would aim to increase accountability by requiring “programs failing to provide a high quality early education program” to reapply for grant funding.



The agreement authorizes total funding of $7.35 billion for fiscal year 2008 (FY08). That is roughly $450 million more than appropriated this year under the fiscal 2007 spending law. Spending would be authorized at roughly $7.65 billion for fiscal year 2009, $7.9 billion for fiscal year 2010 and “such sums as necessary” through 2012. The FY08 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill calls for $7 billion for the program. The appropriations bill faces a likely veto threat, though it is not clear if the $450 million increase from FY97 is reason enough for the President to veto the reauthorization package.

However, one provision that the President pushed for, but neither body included in its own version of the bill, is also missing from the conference report. The White House is advocating for faith-based Head Start providers to be able to hire employees based on religious preference. Similar provisions killed the reauthorization efforts in the 108th and 109th Congress. Despite these concerns, both bills were passed through their respective Houses by overwhelming majorities, making a veto override an almost certainty.

Resources:
Libby George, “Head Start Conference Agreement Appears Headed for Final Passage Next Week,” CQ Today, November 8, 2007.
Author: SAS